Knowing I'd be in Orlando during the conference, I still signed up to post, knowing I could just schedule and be on my merry conferencing way. I made my salad, shot some photos on my back porch in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and planned to edit later. Well, the shots ended up being blurry, ugly (UGHHHH!) and supremely unusable. Did I mention blurry? I'll spare your eyes because all evidence has been deleted!

I was to leave for Orlando in just a few short hours. What's a girl to do? I packed a fresh English cucumber, fresh dill, some leftover browned butter vinaigrette in a Ziploc bag (3 oz. TSA approved, of course) and a half-pint of fresh blackberries I purchased at Food Lion in my carry-on. I was going to recreate my salad in my room and shoot the salad under the beautiful setting of the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort.

And I did.

Kind of. Ish.

The conference has been action-packed and there was plenty of down time, but the pools, the spa, the restaurants and the gorgeous view from my room pulled me away from thinking about my un-photographed dish. I had to order a knife to be delivered to my room (hello, room service) so I could complete my dish. Was it worth the trouble and this ridiculous adventure? Make this salad and YOU be the judge.

This week, Melanie of Melanie Makes and Jennie of Messy Baker Blog are kicking off this Summer BBQ party the right way by being gracious, thoughtful co-hosts. Don't forget to check them out and tell them Nik Snacks sent you!

Cucumber Salad with Blackberry Browned Butter VinaigretteMakes 4 cups

I looked around my blog and realized I did not have a classic cucumber salad. I don't have many "classic" things on this blog and I wasn't about to start a trend with this. The browned butter vinaigrette is an unexpected, unique showstopper. Try it for your next picnic or outdoor grilling event (AKA barbecue, anywhere except the South)

Slice English cucumbers into rounds, 1/4 inch thick. If using Kirby or other variety of cucumber, slice the cucumbers in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds in the middle, then slice into rounds (or crescents, at this point).

Put the sliced cucumbers in a colander and sit the colander in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and let sit in the refrigerator for an hour. Drain the cucumbers and toss with black pepper and the fresh dill.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat until browned but not burned (it should smell like toasted nuts) about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a blender or food processor, combine the fresh blackberry juice, (or blend 1/4 cup blackberries in juicer or food processor before beginning) vinegar, shallot and mustard. Blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the reserved brown butter and blend until thickened. Season to taste and set aside at room temperature until ready to toss and drizzle with the sliced cucumbers.
Don't forget to visit others sharing Summer BBQ Party recipes through Sunday Supper. You will find something to help you take your next BBQ up a few notches!

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comments:

Not only does this sound delicious, but your adventure making it sounds like so much fun! I'm quite jealous of you and all the others having fun there in Florida - maybe some day I'll be able to make it, right now family and budget prevent me from traveling alone! I would love it if you would bring this delicious dish to my recipe link party The Yuck Stops Here this week starting Tuesday evening at 8pm ET. You can always find us on my site at Hot Momma's Kitchen Chaos! See you soon! HUGS

You are a ROCK STAR! You made this dish in your room???? Wow. It sounds wonderful. I am so happy I got the chance to meet you in person! You are magnetic and see why your life has changed in such positive ways!

So glad your salad came together!! It sounds delicious! I just picked up some gorgeous blackberries today too, so I just might have to make this for lunch. Yummm! You are such a treat! It was so nice to meet you in FL this past weekend.

Ah, the life of a food blogger! A story only a fellow food blogger can understand. You get bonus points for bringing it all with you to the conference and photographing it there!!! I love this dish, and will be making it pronto. It was so nice to meet you at the conference!!

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About Me

Nikki Miller-Ka is a professional food blogger and food critic based in North Carolina. She writes and bites about local and regional restaurant trends, solo travel and develops original seasonal recipes here on Nik Snacks.
In addition, she is the food editor at Triad City Beat newspaper, the Casual Dining columnist in the Greensboro News & Record and tour guide for Taste Carolina Gourmet Food Tours.
Miller-Ka was classically trained at Le Cordon Bleu College Of Culinary Arts in Miami and holds degrees in English from East Carolina University. Formerly, she’s been a judge for the James Beard Foundation, featured in Southern Living Magazine & New York Magazine, worked an editorial assistant, news reporter and guest blogger for various publications and outlets in the Southeast. She has worked as a catering chef, a pastry chef, a butcher, a baker, and a biscuit-maker.